The present invention relates generally to an air conditioner for automotive vehicles, and more particularly to one which can be used in a parked vehicle.
One of the most unpleasant experiences on a hot day is to return to a parked vehicle, open the door, and drive away in a vehicle whose interior temperature is often greater than 120 Fahrenheit. Numerous approaches exist which attempt to diminish or resolve the problem. Typical of such approaches is rolling down the car window slightly to allow the heated air to escape, opening the interior vents to provide for some possible exodus of the heated air, the utilizing of cardboard window shields to decrease exposure of the air in the car to the rays of the sun, and air conditioning, which can be used in conjunction with rolled down windows once the vehicle is moving.
Attempts at removing the heated air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle utilizing the above methods are both slow and inefficient. Furthermore, attempts at blocking the rays of the sun merely reduce the temperature of the heated air, as opposed to eliminating the heated air from the passenger compartment. Finally, the use of an automotive vehicle air conditioning system is only possible when the vehicle's ignition system is in operation, such that fuel is being consumed. Additionally, to eliminate problems with cooling the system, it is generally accepted practice to operate the system only at times when the vehicle is being driven.
It is thus apparent that the need exists for an apparatus for cooling the inside of a parked vehicle which provides adequate cooling of the air in the passenger compartment as well as conserving fuel.